Why am I giving away all this information?

Once in a while, I charge for something. Some people buy. Others howl in outrage, saying “How dare you charge? I could get it for free anywhere!”

But I also have opportunities that others do not.

I can write something and have it in 75,000+ inboxes within minutes.

I also get people offering me ways to make tremendous amounts of money with 2-3 hours of work. For example, a while back, I got a call from an infomercial company, who wanted me to appear in one of their programs. I said “No thanks” but then they said, “Are you sure? [WELL-KNOWN PERSONAL-FINANCE PERSON] is involved.” I said hmm…tell me more.

They told me that after appearing once, I would make roughly $50k/month in residuals. A few years ago, this would have been unthinkable. But I turned them down.

Today, I want to share some background into my business. Why am I writing all this free material for you?

What’s going on behind the scenes?

What do I expect of you?

Today is a good day for some unveiling.

The real purpose of this hustling course

A few behind-the-scenes insights from my 30-day course on hustling your way to success.

Lesson #1: Timing matters.
In the world of self-development, January is Christmas. More books are sold, more gym memberships signed, and more resolutions made than at any other time of the year.

This 30-day course on hustling is going extraordinarily well. Forget about traffic and engagement, just look at some of the results you’ve gotten in the last 2 weeks:

“Got together with a public relations consultant I know. I told her about my new book and she immediately offered to give me a hand, hooking me up for interviews in radio and TV.” – Roberto

“New job is all lined up; as of 28 Feb, I will be working 3 days a week earning more than I anticipated, (Mon, Wed, Thurs), leaving Tuesday for me to work on side hustle, and giving me 3 day weekends. Tomorrow I will be handing in my notice at my current job, so exciting and scary times are ahead. Going from a software developer to a rock climbing instructor… Who would have thought?” – Dave

“I was given approval from my manager for a new work schedule that would work around classes plus approval for tuition reimbursement.” – Robbie

Lesson #2: Extremes work.
Why am I doing this?

Why am I writing SEVERAL all-new articles each day, and selling nothing? Why am I doing it for 30 days, waking up at 5am-6am each day, drinking more caffeine than ever before, and posting new material to my blog and multiple email lists?

Two reasons.

First, most people get used to mediocrity. We graduate college, dreaming of flying around to meet CEOs, weekend pool parties in Vegas, shopping sprees, or even just being able to buy whatever we want without worrying. But within a few years, we settle into a world of normalcy where being ambitious is “weird” — and even if we are ambitious, we’re not sure what exactly to do to turn that ambition into results.

Should you start tweeting? Launch a Facebook page? What about a blog? That guy Ramit has a blog, right?

My challenge to you in this 30-day challenge was to accomplish more in a week than you accomplished in all of last year. And indeed, look at these results:

“I LUV the 30-day course on hustling, it made me move my butt and do what I was considering beyond my abilities! Awesome!! I never had so much “hope” before, Ramit you are it!!)” – sambista77

“I am REALLY unhappy at the job I’m in right now, so to change that I started to apply to jobs that I’m absolutely not qualified to do, but would love to. After getting the first rejection letter, I wrote an e-mail using the “Recession Proof Graduate” technique and secured a phone interview for tomorrow! Now I just have to keep hustling to show them I’m really ahead of the game. Thanks for the daily butt kicking, I have no excuses to ACT.” – Julie

“Ramit, I’ve treated you like a prostitute for too long… those days are over my Indian friend and I want to share 1 major win with you via testing.My 14th attempt blew the interviewing managers out of their toilet seats. Why: because I changed the script, used the briefcase method, job shadowed my potential client, wrote a detailed proposal with 5 things they can do TODAY to save the company $1500/week EVEN IF they don’t hire me. Ramit, thanks for the extra $10k, 5+ weeks of vacation, and 6% 401k.” – Justin

You’re accomplishing this not just by reading, but by tapping into powerful external variables — like the fact that we’re more likely to take action in January, and that this is a WEEKLY SERIES with specific action items.

That’s extreme. When was the last time someone told you to take action within 48 HOURS — and promised to hold you accountable?

Second, QUICK WINS are important. Once you see results, you’ll know that this is real. That’s why I’m so insistent about taking action rapidly — because our normal default is inaction — and once you see results, they build upon themselves.

Here’s an example: One of the funny things that happens is people see my book at a bookstore, or linked from some blog, and say “This sounds like a scam.” But once they try one of my negotiation scripts in the first chapter — and they work very, very well — they instantly realize that this book is legit. And they accelerate their behavioral change and get results like this.

I call these QUICK WINS, and they are almost as important as BIG WINS. So once you achieve a quick win this month — like negotiating your salary, or realizing an invisible script that’s held you back, or taking someone important out to coffee — you realize that this stuff works.

And then it’s only a matter of time before you avail yourself of more of my material. Maybe free. Maybe paid.

The pattern I’ve noticed: QUICK WINS, then strategy
We start off by doing random things. Negotiate this. Ask that person out for lunch. Then we realize this works. And we start wanting to be more systematic. As each of us gets more successful, we realize how much we don’t know…and we look to trusted sources to help us accelerate our growth curve.

So instead of, say, adding 20% to my income like last year, this year I want to add 40%. I want to accelerate my growth. Or instead of taking 4 weeks of vacation, this year I want to take 8. I want to accelerate, not stay stagnant…

Compare this to grandiose recommendations that tell you to come up with an over-arching strategy first. Has that worked for you?

In 2009, I probably spent around $25,000 on self-development material. In 2010, I spent over $50,000. 2011 will be even more. I want to accelerate. I want to be systematic about it.

And I want to help you do that.

What I expect of you

I’m tired of people who simply expect more and more free material. They consume and consume and never give back. Worst of all, they’re simply looking for their fix, that new piece of shiny information that makes them feel good about learning something new. But taking action? Forget it.

Those people are losers and I’m done with them.

In this world, QUALITY is rare. How many blogs do we know that run “Top 10” lists every week? How many say the same vague, boring things about saving money on lattes, or the best bank account with an 0.0002% higher interest rate?

I try to make every post and email better than anything else on the topic. After all, why write something unless you’ll be proud of it in 25 years?

That’s why I spent 2 years writing my book, which gets people results like this.

It’s why I spent over $100,000 and almost a full year developing Earn1k, my course on earning more. My students get results like this:

In order for me to continue getting results like this, I need to be clear about what I expect from you.

I’m happy to give away the majority of my material free. My goal is to produce material that is more valuable than others’ paid content — and do it regularly.

But here’s what I expect of you:

I’m not just giving you free material — I’m investing in you. So I want you to invest in yourself, first with time. If you like what you read here, follow through it. Stop consuming and start producing. If it pays off, I know you’ll invest with more time and, at some point, money for my paid products.

Take action or leave. If you simply read and don’t do anything, leave. Let’s not waste each other’s time.

Master the game being played around you. My favorite comment from people is, “I know how to save $15! I’ll save it by not buying his book! Hahahahahaaaaaha!!!!!” The sad thing is, there’s a game being played around these people and they don’t even know it. They genuinely believe that by not purchasing anything, they can somehow find their way to a rich life. They see cost, not value, while top performers will always invest in themselves. They are not right for this site.

Don’t make excuses. I’ve written about getting into Stanford, or getting huge raises, or getting disproportionate rewards through hard work. I had no special advantages. My techniques have worked for hundreds of thousands of people. If you have excuse after excuse about why you can’t do it, you should probably spend time on your own beliefs rather than reading blogs.

Expect higher for yourself. Too many people have gotten used to mediocrity. Too many people believe ambition is a bad word. That’s not true. You can quit your job and travel abroad this year if you want. You can earn $2,000/month on the side. You can meet a celebrity for coffee. I’ve already shown you how in this month of free material…and I have more systematic techniques to show you soon.

If these work for you, I’d love to keep helping you hit disproportionate goals. If not, do me the favor of unsubscribing. I don’t want to waste anybody’s time and I don’t want you to waste mine.

Again, if you follow this month’s free material on hustling, you can get more accomplished towards your goal in a week than ALL of last year.

But I’m not your grandma and I don’t coddle whiners. You’re going to have work harder than you’ve ever worked to get disproportionate results.

Now let’s talk about taking hustling to the next level.

First, you learned how to hustle. Soon, get paid for it.

This month, you’re learning how to hustle, or work extraordinarily hard for disproportionate results. You’re learning how to:

Each of these is showing you how to take control of your life, instead of passively letting life go by.

Now I want to show you how to turn your newly found hustling skills into income.

Hustling — using techniques to get a better job, or travel more, etc — is valuable in and of itself.

But once you have those skills, you can turn them into side income.

Let me show you how others have done it.

What’s coming in February: Earn1k 2.0

Look at this ghetto page:

It looks like any standard landing page.

But what’s been going on behind that page is extraordinary.

One year ago, I launched Earn1k, my step-by-step course to teach students how to turn their skills into significant side income. I spent over $100,000 to develop it and make it better than any other course on earning money.

Over the last year, I haven’t talked about the results that Earn1k students have gotten in any serious detail. I guess I don’t talk about it publicly too much because I don’t need to.

So today, I want to show you just a hint of what my students have accomplished — and let you know how you can apply your new hustling skills to earn more money on the side.

READ these results from Earn1k graduates

- “Increase my interview call-back rate from 30% to 70%.” — Vishal

- “Make $250/mo doing less than 5mins of work each month.” — Allan

- “I increased my annual salary 25% by being essential to my boss and was uber-prepared to ask for and make the case for a raise.” — Daniel

- “I increased my hourly rate from $40 to $100/hr” — Alana

- “I’m currently getting booked for about 3-4 days a week earning about 35-45/hour, which was on par with my 9-5 job…while working about 20-30% less.” — Rob

- “I earned twice as much on the sides as I did the previous year.” — Keith H.

- “Instead of going the freelance route I used the techniques I learned from earn1k to get into my bosses head and go from 56K/year to 74K/year, and get training in new skills. I have turned those around into a new job which pays 92K/year with the potential of a 10K bonus. So I went from 56K per year to 92-102K/year using earn1K techniques, in ~ 9 months.” — Andrew b

Over the last year, I’ve been testing new techniques, recording live calls with students, and building even more systems to help people turn their existing skills into side income.

Why side income? Because if you want to eventually quit your job, you can start by earning an extra $1,000/month, $2,000/month, or even $5,000/month. Once you’re earning that kind of money on the side, you can decide whether to quit your job (as many of my students have done) — or stay and simply fill up your bank account.

Or even spend it on the things you love.

You’re learning how to hustle. You’re seeing that it works. Soon, get paid for it.

In February, I’m opening up a new version of Earn1k — Earn1k 2.0 — for one week. The “2.0” means my Earn1k material PLUS hundreds of new tactics, scripts, stories, systems, and insights that we’ve collected and organized from hundreds of Earn1k students who set up multiple streams of income.

So here’s what I’m going to do: We’ve got 2 more weeks of free material on hustling. Then I’m giving away another bonus week via my email list. And after that, I’ll open up Earn1k 2.0 to my private email list only. It will not be available through the blog.

Right now you’re learning how to hustle. I want to show you how to take those new skills and turn them into side income for you.

To-Do This Week

If you want to turn all your momentum during this 30-day course into actual money in the bank, make sure you’re signed up for my private list to join the bonus 5th week on earning more.

This week, I’m releasing another Earn1K lesson to help you with negotiation. This technique is called: “From Free to Fee”, and you’ll learn how Matt C. negotiated one free project into a monthly $6,000+ check from me.

Just enter your name and email in the form below to get access to this and many other bonuses from this 30-day course.

88 Comments

I’ve taken this to heart. Went to the dentist and I asked a TON of questions and they just opened up. I explained I could fill their need and said, “Here’s the ‘menu’ of services I can do. All you have to do is pick.” The dentist was like, “WHAT THE HELL? THIS IS GREAT!” I couldn’t get him to pick one right there and then, but I’m going to follow up on Thursday. (Any help on closing a sale after the briefcase technique, let me know, Ramit.)

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by positivityblog, CollegeDegreeHelper and Belinda Fuchs, Austin Evarts. Austin Evarts said: Why am I giving away all this information?: I run a really weird business. 99% of the time, I give away my produ… http://bit.ly/eRf0NQ […]

Ramit, it’s not just all the recent content and giving it away for free… free content is the basis of a business on the web. People demand it.

You interact with your readers in an incredible capacity! Yes, you write a lot of stuff, but goodness, you are quoting your readers in the article the next day after a comment and regularly using READER IMPUT to enhance your content. It’s like having a conversation. Especially recently, I look forward to every email I get from you. All good bloggers know you need to INTERACT with your audience. But you, especially recently, have been a true artist about it. Keep it up! Thanks!

Over the last two weeks, I came up with an idea I am passionate about and is in perfect timing, got two business partners who complement each other perfectly, met with a local entrepreneur who wants to be my mentor and is giving me workspace and encouragement, and on and on and on. These last two weeks have been more productive than the last 15 years of my life, and the path its taking me is the path of my dreams, one that I had given up on long ago.

Thank you so much. You are able to inspire, and make dreams DO-able, not just DREAM-able.

Ramit’s Guide To Kicking Ass was $4.99, now you’re selling courses in the thousands of dollars. I really enjoy studying you from an internet marketing perspective. You are in fact very good at what you do and I always learn something.

In Week One, I took to heart what you said. I’m a longtime professional writer whose always dreamt of selling a young adult novel. I’ve written two and have ideas for four more. I called three published authors I knew and an editor I’d been introduced to last year. Had lunch with the editor, spoke to one author for an hour, and am having coffee with the other author tomorrow. So far, each one has loved my book concept and has given me specific tasks I need to do and things I need to avoid. Until last week, I avoided the marketing aspect of the writer’s life since I’m doing OK writing professionally but that’s never been totally satisfying. Just talking to published authors, getting feedback on my books, and thinking about next steps has been huge.

Oh yeah, and I negotiated a credit card rate down, applied for a new lower interest mortgage, and started calling people I want to work with.

So, yeah. Thanks for the great work and keeping us inspired and moving forward.

Amen to QUICK WINS! I hustled, I read you stuff, created action plans for myself to follow through. Each week I saw a simple idea turn into something wild. I got over my assumptions of people won’t pay for this kind of work, by actually testing the market. I have 1 / 3 people responding to me about a quick job (they work for a bigger company that helps other small – medium sized business grow). Then after taking some of lessons learned from BJ Fogg’s Psychology webinar, I took ownership of my own skills/talents at work. I’ve always known about sharing my work and expertise with others, but never really believed that was how you become an expert. Well today, I just heard back from a company that is reaching out to me for an open-ended contract/freelance work to teach people what I enjoy doing. Although this kind of relationship/networking was built up over time, but this kind of offer came in at a great time. QUICK WIN to BIG WIN. Time to hustle some more! BTW, my wife thinks I am having an affair with you. Ramit this ramit that. Got any tips for married people?

Let me be clear, the things I’m saying are first and foremost for me
If at any point you feel I’m too aggressive you right, I AM.

I’m up for living the life I always dreamed about.
Sadly however this kind of life will only come from challenging the status quo and pushing outside my comfort zone.
Doing so, is by all means, both unpleasant and stress inducing.

To illustrate this better,
I’ll just say, that the past 2.5 weeks (beginning of hustling course) have been the hardest weeks of my life.
Read: I’ve had some fucked up stuff happening and going on
in my life = Being a victim of the circumstances.
Confronting and overcoming hurdles bigger than myself as I have in this course = Being responsible and actually causing my life.

Cognitive-behavioral psychologists are convinced that there is a direct correlation between an increased sphere of comfort,
getting what you want and experiencing fulfillment.
Simply put: you do what you fear, you make it disappear,
you feel excited and happy. That’s all there is to it.

One problem though; almighty nature has a different plan for us… it needs to make sure nothing will risk moving our genes forward, NOTHING.
Its only job, on planet earth, is-to protect me from getting burned, slammed and embarrassed. Being effective as it is, it’ll use FEAR.

It figured, a long time ago, that with all the progress that has
been made in the last 400,000 years we are still afraid of the dark and the unknown.

The paradox in this case, as with many things, is as follows, if it’s the three balls of ice cream with walnuts, chocolate rolls, raisins and caramel topping kind of life I’m after, I must first break through the dark, the unknown and win the battle!

My opponent if you wonder is my own preliminary brain (self) and it takes no prisoners. I fight or flight, and fighting I will!

Most of what I know about the psychology of excuse-making (both regarding my own excuses and those of my readers) I’ve learned from you. And thanks to reading you over the years, I’ve cured myself of almost all of my excuses — and I’ve helped hundreds of my readers do the same. (Either that or I successfully scared the excuse-makers away!).

Keep it going Ramit, you are a force for good.

Dan @ Casual Kitchen

PS: This is one of the most impressive bursts of uber-blogging I’ve ever seen. Anywhere. And, yeah, it’s motivating all right.

I think you’re a reflection of the changing economy (and I mean that in a good way). It used to be that information products were scarce and had a physical medium, so it was easy (and necessary) to charge a high price for them and prove value later. In the new economy, information is easily available and requires no physical media, which means products based on information can be delivered cheaply. Thus, they have to prove value first and only then can they charge a price. In other words, we’ve gone from “why would I pay for something I can get for free?” to “I’m only going to pay for something if I can try it out for free first and make sure that I like it.” People who haven’t realized this (hello old media giants!) are being left in the dust.

For example, bands used to put out CD’s which would sell out before anyone even heard them. These days I expect free samples before I buy an album to make sure I’m getting something valuable. The same applies to books, movies and any other data based product.

I think you’re smart enough to realize this and are doing the same thing. There are a million and one “make extra money” courses out there. By providing valuable free content you’re proving your value, which makes it far more likely that people will buy your non-free content.

Just reading this post gave me the additional jolt of energy I needed to get through the day.

Over the last week, I also realized what I’ve been doing oh SO SO SO wrong in school, and I’ve kicked my butt into gear and have started FINALLY figuring out what actually works for me. I found a new study buddy who seriously kicked my butt into shape and helped me get the highest grade on a test in this class so far.

I also start a new class next week, and I am ready to work much more closely with the people I need to talk to for recommendations and help. I realized that yes, there are people there who want to HELP me and not just think I’m a moron when I’m confused.

Ramit, I have been reading your blog for over a year now, initially because I was having to seriously manage my finances for the first time in my life and eventually because you teach street smarts so well (something I’m pretty far behind on for a number of reasons).

When you told us that this was the year that we either had to take action on what you were saying or unsubscribe from your blog, I took you seriously. The thing is – if this were a graded class, I’d be getting a D or an F because I’m only doing half of what you’re asking. But even doing 50% or 60% of the work that you ask of us has already created an enormous impact in my life. In just one short month, I’ve created more opportunities for myself than I did in the first 6 months of last year. My volunteering involvement has increased 400% – it’s maybe not as quick a win as some of the other things that people are doing, but I’m seriously investing in my life and in the communities that make it worth living. I’m not going to say that it’s all because of you, but getting a kick in the ass from your blog really helped me clarify what I want out of my life this year and formulate an ACTUAL PLAN to achieve it.

Ramit, your earn 1K is helping me to transform my project management consulting practice ( I set out on my own this summer, and haven’t looked back) and re-introduce the concept of hustle into my life. I’ve always been ambitious, but hustle, the sheer sense of “let’s give this a try and see” is something that I remember being a HUGE part of my immigrant grandma’s personality. She picked herself up from setbacks that would have permanently grounded most people several times, took chances, and made it work. How is it that a nation of immigrants lost the steam/hustle/balls that their grand- and great-grand parents had?

“First, most people get used to mediocrity. We graduate college, dreaming of flying around to meet CEOs, weekend pool parties in Vegas, shopping sprees, or even just being able to buy whatever we want without worrying. But within a few years, we settle into a world of normalcy where being ambitious is “weird” — and even if we are ambitious, we’re not sure what exactly to do to turn that ambition into results.”

It is THAT kind of wisdom and thinking that makes you head and shoulders above everyone else. It is so true, to the point of being scary, how often this happens. We must keep moving, keep improving, and continue to reach for our dreams.

I admit that I started off this hustle course thinking all about action, but then my actions fizzled out pretty quickly. I can name a million excuses, but it doesn’t matter. They are all negative scripts holding me back. This weekend I found out my husband and I will likely get our jobs cut by June, so I’ve been re-reading your columns again and this time I’m getting down to business. I am always motivated when I read your emails and posts, so I’ve ordered your book. I am eagerly waiting to get it. I want to join your Earn1k 2.0 course as well. Keep us all posted on when it goes live.

I’ve learned that it simply cannot hurt to ask. I am the director of the Fun Committee at work [as a secondary, volunteer position in addition to my full time job]. We just put on an amazing event last week and I think we are due for a congratulations for all of our hard work this year. My first thought was ‘

the company is not going to cough up extra $$ so we can to treat ourselves on company time’

BUT I also now know it can’t hurt to ask. So I went to management and what do you know. Next Friday all six committee members are going to lunch and an afternoon movie all on company time on the company dime.

If someone is currently trying to work his/her way out of debt, is now the time to be taking this course? (I ask because I skipped a course last year when you said that anyone working on personal debt shouldn’t be taking the course at that time.) I’ve paid to take your courses in the past, so I definitely trust and value your advice.

Ramit – Between listening to you and Tim Ferriss (and the story about your smack-talking workout web site) and your earn1k class — I’ve created a workout contract with my wife (a fitness professional) with risks and rewards. I’ve been working out 3 weeks straight now.

Also, I’ve taken more steps to getting my side businesses up and running in the past month than I have in the past year.

Mr Sethi,
I discovered you through Tim Ferriss, but had been skeptical with your book title. Now I wish I hadn’t!!! If I followed you back then, I’d be in a totally different position now.
So here we are. I haven’t worked since October because I relocated. I’m in the process of purchasing a practice and things are stalling in the negotiations. I just watched your negotiation video yesterday and intended to use the mindset while negotiating with the seller. Unfortunately, I hadn’t factored for the broker to get in between. Instead of negotiating, I ended up getting emotional and pleaded for what I wanted, and said some things about the broker I wish I hadn’t. In the end, I didn’t get to talk with the seller, but I did get 80% of what I wanted.
Even before I found you, I’ve been hustling. For example, I’ve been able to secure some private investors to help with the purchase, but still short of my target amount. I’m almost there!
I read the pdf on how to find my next profitable idea. I applied it to my practice, but I don’t think I’m asking the right questions to my potential clients. Change that: I don’t think I’m asking the right way. So I went to my colleagues to ask them how I should be asking my potential clients, and they thought I was crazy to be taking that kind of survey before I have my practice going. No wonder they’re suffering. I need to hang out with successful colleagues!
I’m still working on it Mr Sethi! Will report back soon.
Dr J

I think anyone who’s been paying attention (and listened to the webcast with BJ Fogg) knows exactly what you’re doing:

Baby steps.

How much more likely are any of us to sign up for Earn1k 2.0 now? Only a few months ago I wouldn’t have, and now I’m seriously considering it. By digesting your free material, we’re all taking baby steps towards paying for your material.

You’re applying the exact techniques you’re teaching all of us. Baller. How’re they working for you? How many new e-mail sign-ups do you have? How much blog-traffic has this driven? And what I’m really curious to see – how many people sign up for Earn1k 2.0?

This has all been incredibly useful information for me. I’m having difficulty applying these short, quick bursts because I’ve been doing these things since about November, 2010 when I decided to launch a business on the side (Thanks, Tim Ferriss!) but your teachings have helped me to refine, and guide my longer-term progress. I’ve restructured my credit cards, and automated some savings because of you, which will end up saving me hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. I’ve started employing techniques in my everyday life to help guide my business ventures (like going to the farmers market to get practice negotiating, and turning it into a competition among friends of “who can save more”). I’m challenging myself on a daily basis to challenge my own assumptions, to not be afraid of success, aim for what I know I want in life, and to constantly push my comfort zone. It’s liberating. When you realize you CAN go for those great things, the list of things you want to do starts growing, and you begin to realize how much you’ve been suppressing yourself because of these “invisible scripts” and assumptions about how one “should” live their life. Thanks, Ramit. I can’t say you started this change in my perspective, but your support has been invaluable. One of the most challenging things is that so many people seem to have given up on success, and they can drag someone down with them. People like yourself help me to remember that everyone else’s reality doesn’t have to be mine.

There’s been benefits for my full-time job, too. There will likely be a dramatic shift in my job description within the next few months (unrelated to this series), and I’m applying all of this advice from the hustling course to prepare leveraging this shift so that I can get the most benefit. Traveling is essential to maintain my sanity, so my #1 goal is remote-work/tele-commuting. Thanks to you, I know the steps to take to rock this shift as hard as possible, and not only provide myself with added benifits, but provide my company with my best work.

Ramit,
I’ve been a silent observer, learner, listener for some months now. I have been working and making money on the side for years now. As a teacher, it isn’t easy working full time at a demanding school and then working another 10 hours a week privately. However, I have demanded and have recieved a higher salary for my private work based on my additional knowlege. I have learned not to apologize that my fees are higher than the norm. I have worked damn hard, have gained experience and knowlege and have invested in myself. My client list has grown and seems to keep growing each year. However, I’m tired. I’m nearing retirement age and have been wishing that I too could make tons of money from only 5 mintues of work a week / month.. I will retire next year and then start working part time. Perhaps then, I’ll figure out a way to reduce my work load without reducing my economic situation.
thank you for your insight, you always make me think. I look forward to your emails and the information you bring.
Trish

I completely enjoy getting these emails (I have unsubscribed to so many others), because it reminds me that I (we all) need to break out of the mold of “negotiating is for people who are pushy and rude,” or, “if I say this is my rate, will they think it’s too high and move on to someone else?”

In my work, I often struggle with the preemptive decision that someone won’t want to help me, will find me annoying (this is such a girl thing), or will think I am overconfident and cocky when it comes to what I charge (I’m a book ghostwriter who also does freelance copywriting) — even though those sound like oxymorons. I can’t say the number of times I’ve looked back and thought that I sold myself short. Or the times I’ve realized that if someone doesn’t help, my attitude should be “Eh,” and move on.

Ramit, you remind me daily that fear of failure is pointless, that success involves hard work and hustle, and that complete confidence in what you do (because I am great at what I do) always gets better results than being conservative.

Maybe it’s the vibes I’m sending out into the universe, but I’ve already been contacted for 3 freelance projects (big and gigs). My next goal is to find a job where I can negotiate for half-day Fridays!

I’ll will admit that up until a few weeks ago I was one of the ‘losers’ you refer to (and in some cases still am) I have taken alot of what you say to heart and even acted on a few. Unfortunatly everytime I get to the selling part I still feel like I’m full of shit. So I guess I need a little of your confindence and a bigger kick in the ass. I have people depending on me.
Thanks!

Started out with a simple writing job. Got signed on to produce/edit as well. Just landed another writing gig, and this week I’m going to send out two more query letters to two different magazines, one of them big, another less so, as well as some new ideas to another magazine which I’ve queried earlier (they actually responded, but not enthusiastically).

But I wouldn’t describe any of it as “hustling”: it takes a lot of time and thought and effort to craft a good query letter (freelance writing) and a lot of time and thought and effort to write an acceptable draft. Quality matters when you’re trying to make yourself stand out from the gazillion other freelancers out there.

I am in the process of reinventing myself and my career. I have been working in education as a teacher for the last 7 years and desire to make a move. This course is helping me to identify the scripts that are at work in my life that keep telling me that I have missed the boat and the last 10+ years of my life has been a waste.
Being aware of the negative scripts and taking specific actions steps to move forward is this transition having given me confidence in approaching potential employers, even though I am under “qualified”, lacking experience in the field, but having the strengths and skills to meet their needs well.
I still have much to learn, but I appreciate the content being offered because it is helping to guide my thinking about what is possible for me looking out into the world away from the classroom.

For 2 years now I haven’t had the balls to ask for the meeting’s when given the opportunity. After reading ” meeting important people” I called up a close friend, whose father owns over 100 Mcdonalds franchises.

While meeting for lunch he happily told me how he got his business started with little capital, names of investors who specialize in small business, and other business contacts who I could learn from.

Finally taking initiative was the key, now i have the confidence to stop talking and FINALLy start doing!

Thanks Ramit- Skip all this writing crap and make a video why don’t you. I like the material but Jesus Christ enough with the testimonials. If you want some of MY money, which apparently doesn’t matter that much to you right now, then make videos. That’s what I want and that’s what I will pay for…but not much…mabe $1 per video.

Well, I am not your targeted reader. I am over 50. I like your different views on money. Most money advice I don’t read because It’s depressing, I feel I need to develop other skills to earn more. I am just a main frame programmer. I could moonlight part time, I have been seriously thinking about that. I have an interest in web applications but not the skill level. I always wanted to be a writer. I need some ideas I can do.

It’s funny what Ramit does if you really think about it. His job as a marketer (and that’s what he is) is to make you unhappy with your current situation. Because if you were happy, you wouldn’t worry about what an extra grand a month could do for you.

Sure, money doesn’t hurt. But study after study proves that money contributes very little to our over all happiness once you make a certain amount. Yet, you’re trying to convince people that if only they make an extra X k per month, they’ll have their dream life and FINALLY be happy.

People are delusional to think that but it’s the human condition – might as well exploit it, right?

I’m haven’t taken all of Ramit’s good advice – but nevertheless… it looks like I’m going to get that part-time job that will make that extra $1000 a month. (I’m not going to say that I’ve gotten the job until the paperwork’s all signed.) I have a feeling that if I’d taken all of Ramit’s negotiations advice, I could have gotten more money per hour – but I guess I’ll get to apply those skills to the next opportunity comes along!

In the past month that I have been reading your blog, emails, webcasts, and finished your book. I have taken more financial action (automating my savings) than I have ever before. The embarrassing part, I am a CPA and know a lot of this stuff, but didn’t take action until I started taking small steps thanks to your materials.

For example, I implemented an invisible script that I was too inexperienced and needed more training to be selected for a special training opportunity at work (normally reserved for more experienced employee). This idea kept me from going for it. But, I did go for it and landed the opportunity over people who had more experience. I talked with my manager, told her why I want to do it and show her how it would help the team and myself. Two days later I receive an email and was selected.

This was a small win, but an example of how I tested the script and got the result I wanted. There is momentum in taking these small steps, implementing them, and getting positive and negative results, that creates a cycle and progression towards the bigger goals. Like BJ Fogg said, “take the small step that makes you say yes”, very powerful concept that I can’t get out of my head.

– To do business, Ramit (and Tim Ferriss) have to market to people who want to change. They market to people who are already dissatisfied. If you’re happy, you’d never read this blog.
– Effective marketing in this field is unfortunately by nature a bit misleading. Everyone wants a “quick fix” and wants their money for nothing. Ramit, Tim, and others have to play on this desire, otherwise they wouldn’t reach anyone. As soon as you say “it’s hard work” people get upset based on “false promises” when in fact they’re the ones that have been lying to themselves.
– “Happiness comes from within” is a very true statement, and we all need to find our inner happiness. It’s also a great excuse for inaction, and lying to yourself to think “I can just will myself into happiness” rather than actively pursuing it. Good advice, but a common excuse to be lazy. You need both to be happy. I know from personal experience that there is a difference between actually being happy and thinking I was happy (feeling relieved when I got fired from a job I thought I liked was this lesson)
– Research shows that currently the “money can buy happiness” cap is around $75,000 USD (ref: http://wws.princeton.edu/news/Income_Happiness/ ) Less than 1% of the current world population makes that, adjusted for cost of living (ref: http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/resources/how-rich-you-are.php ) Basically: 99%+ of all people will be happier if they earn more. Research supports this.
– The single biggest thing that you’re missing, in my opinion: Lifestyle. The corporate machine has drilled it so far into your skull that you have what you need to lead a happy life, that you’ve essentially had all the hope, ambition, passion, and lust for life beaten out of you. I wasn’t born to live for the weekend. Nothing in nature says I have to work a 40hr workweek, or 8hrs a day, or especially 9-5, or 8-5, or even 8-6. These are arbitrary metrics. The “machine” wants you to work a lot, for less than your worth, and buy more than you can afford. I hardly think that Ramit telling you to earn what you’re worth, balance your budget, and vacation more is bad advice in any way, shape, or form.

Why am I writing this? Why am I so passionate about it?
Because your attitude represents the same, ignorant mindset that keeps people down, and keeps the rich on top. Your fear, inaction, and submissiveness is depressing. It’s upsetting to see how much passion for life the average person lacks. It’s upsetting how short-sighted your perspective is and how any excuse for inaction is accepted with open arms. I’d rather live my life passionately, and aim for greatness, than cave to what society is telling me is the right way to live. There’s too much at stake for mediocrity, namely, my one [and only] life.

I’ll stop now. Thank you.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one”
-Albert Einstein

Great comment on quick wins and acceleration. In addition consistent focused small victories will yield large victories. Taking action to quit drinking cola/energy drinks after heavy usage for the past five years is a great milestone I can draw strength off of (coming up 2 months within a week). Next major milestone that I am prepared to take action on effective tomorrow is to wake up at 259AM M-F for the purpose of working out early in the morning (small victory + health victory) and to create strong precedent for the day. Its always good to start off each day with as many small victories as possible. Increasing action and initiative has also allowed me increased opportunities to make good returns via penny stock investing and to think and begin acting on additional income streams.

If this doesn’t get deleted, you invited me to comment, so I will take you up on that:
1. I haven’t seen ANYTHING here I haven’t seen before (if you have something new, please let folks know!), though I like your spin on it. As Wilson said above, you just say it different (he likes it better, too me it still is a lot of extraneous info and convincing hype for the real intent of sales, which is perfectly normal and acceptable, but not at all commendable, honorable, interesting or different)
2. It is all mostly hype and takes the same format and tone of any e-book promotion page… sad it works on so many simple minds, but apparently it does or you wouldn’t be doing it. I would try, but my life is more than just about making $, but really making a difference. Your testimonials only prove that they needed something to figure out the obvious that is contained all over the place, but got this info from you instead of somewhere else (nothing new here bro, you should admit it, there is rarely anything new under the sun and certainly not your take on everyone else’s advice, it is just a different spin and package)
3. Your earn1k v.1.0 page is indeed ghetto.
4. I’ll give it a try though, just to see if you can actually provide some new info (I like new ideas), and I like it that you hustle (that is the true “secret” – just plain old hustling and working hard… all this other stuff is obvious, or should be, even though common sense these days is not so common. Hype is obviously king which turns into the other king, cash. You’re still all about the hype so you can make money, just like Ferris… but I don’t disrespect you for that, as it’s who you guys are, what you’re about, and in the very essence of your being and your self actualization is dependent upon it).
5. I am experimenting to see if you censor this post, or, if not, slam me for my opinion or respect it even if it differs from yours.
6. Please go spend some of that money you’ve made to truly make the world a better place, not just telling relatively wealthy people (as most westerners are, having food and running water almost everywhere) how much more $ they can make and save so they can continue in materialism. (Spend not just the $ you’ve made, but $ you’ve “saved”!

Not bitter or jealous or anything, just a bit irritated with you flooding my inbox and using 5,000 words to explain something that could be explained in 500, or even 50 and still waiting to see something new I haven’t read already somewhere else (and usually better written elsewhere). Maybe have an executive version of your hype for some folks? That might be slightly more innovative, or perhaps not as it might not sell as well, and that’s really what you’re all about… right? I don’t mean to offend you or kill any of your sales, so please forgive me if I cause you any greif, just responding to your call to action, in hopes it was sincere.

Dear Ramit….You are unique among men. An independent thinker. That is very appealing. I downloaded your wonderful book from Audible.com the day after Christmas. Remarkable info. Also planning to buy a hard copy soon. Thank you….and thank your parents for raising such a fascinating, intelligent son. Best to you. Marilyn

dude, this is some amazing stuff, wish I would have been turned on to you years ago. I found you and 4HWW at the end of 2010. Never been so motivated in my entire life…..I’m going to make big things happen in 2011 – thanks for all you do

“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field” – Niels Bohr, Danish physicist and Nobel Prize Winner

I wish I could give away my product. Once people try it, they buy it again and again… its just getting that first try in, which is not cost effective for ky product these days (shipping kills it). Be grateful, Rammit, that you can ship free and truly give free samples that leads to more sales.

I just want to add my voice to the many who find your material practical and useful.

I accepted your challenge and achieved positive, measurable results within a week. I’ve been following up on every email and getting results, results, results.

I read the occasional critical comment and always find the same strident tone of people who are more interested in telling you why something won’t work than in trying it; more interested in putting others down than in pulling themselves up; more interested in appearing streetwise than in learning anything. I wish them well.

Me, I’m already better off than I was three weeks ago. I look forward to your next email.

I just recently heard about you and your book, I started reading and I liked your direct style and appealing techniques so I came to read your web page. I’m trying to catch up on so many articles from before while reading the new ones.
English is not my mother tongue and I’m still learning it so it gets hard sometime to understand the actual meaning to some lines, but then I read it time and time again until I get it, and that fact alone makes me feel some sense of accomplishment as well as an extra motivation to put those words into action. I will admit that I’m slower than most of the people commenting here on making huge progresses in my life, but I’m not giving up on this.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Thank you Ramet for your amazing, amazing content that never ceases to be inspiring to me. I am working with my Father right now to help him in his start-up business coaching and your “stuff” is just so meaty and filling! I am really enjoying all of your posts and love the way you integrate the Psychology aspect into you IM stuff. Your info is no BS and so fresh! And so many of your readers are equally intelligent, I have never seen so many people in one place who express a willingness and desire to be accountable for there own actions, whether they be good or not so good, to own their own stuff and stop playing the blame game. Good Stuff. Will keep following.

Hi Ramit
Thank you for all the great emails. I was inspired to set up a side business, helping people with computer related issues. I am not an I.T. specialist but have spent enough time setting up printers that won’t work and sorting out problems with adsl connections and the like to know a few things. I helped a friend who referred me to a school where she worked. I told them it was a side business and they agreed to my fee. I did a couple of hours work and was due to come back the following day to finish off. Unfortunately, they called to say they had found a professional I.T. services firm that could service them during their normal working hours and be on call. So that was a failure but I learned more about my market for this type of service and that my strength is probably better suited to coaching people in how to use their computer. So as Edison would have said, I have just learned one way my own business won’t work, not failed. Thanks for the inspiration.

Nick, this is exactly the freelance business I am looking to launch in March. May I suggest, without knowing anything more than what you posted here, that you consider tapping into the Baby Boomers who don’t know how to use their cell phones much less how to upload and get photos printed? That’s what my niche is going to be and as long as you’re not in southern Wisconsin, it’s a fantastic idea.

After having participated in the Earn 1K course(did the work the same day and everything), I was able to isolate alot of the things that I was doing wrong when it came to freelancing. Since taking the course, I’ve managed to wrangle up some fresh clients, up-sell some old ones, and land myself 2 long term contracts focusing on my creative loves – writing and design.

I can’t thank you enough for convincing me to join Earn 1K, and if this new course is anything like I’m all too happy to be a part of it.

Hi Ramit,
Do you think that some of your readers don’t take action because their afraid to fail?
I mean you are so successful that if we try but fail we may think we’ll never be as good as you.
I know it blocks me a few times ago. Now I just try knowing that I might fail. Surprisingly, it doesn’t happen so often.
Thanks Ramit

Just when I started getting rolling with your program last week I got hit in the face with a loss. It was heart breaking shock. As the cost of the vet bills was more than we could handle right now (I am the only one working in the household and self employed)… I managed to think on my feet and negotiate a win:win:win deal in the midst of the shock and pain with the people who are helping us.

When we got the bad news (and while we were trying to make a decision about our little fur girl) I managed to figure out a plan for their marketing online fixed a couple of issues that Google places had for their location, added a few tweaks and made a blog post to prove to them that I can help them too (on my blog got them on the first page of Google in less than 16 hours) where they weren’t even found under their own keywords before with paid yellow pages.

Now I have a potential customer (who will hire me when they are ready for a website), they agreed to a payment plan for us to cover the costs of the bills so that we could afford it (even though our little fur girl didn’t make it through), helped another business who isn’t clear about how that internet thingy works and helped myself get over a heart breaking experience.

Thank You for your blog.

Maybe to others this isn’t big… but to me, that I managed to keep it together (with the things that I read from you were ringing in my ears) while this all transpired is a true gift. Through your words, you helped me, I helped myself by helping someone else.

Goddamn! …Ive laughed aloud in this Starbucks on VanNess at the cut throat clarity of this post, and had a man turn to look at me. Whatever, I also instantly just unsubscribed to all the sites that send me inane time wasting material that sucks my energy and drive.

Ive been on this 1 Month Hustle completing the exercises, a little behind but getting it done, and absorbing the deeper lessons of it all.

My sobbing excuses are getting the lack of attention they deserve.

Im truly inspired and finding ways to keep it going.

One reoccurring issue:
How to keep a consistent work/project schedule? I get inspired and I act, sometimes drastically, gain the rewards but then get lost in the daily maintenance of living- calls, school, work, laundry 7 blocks away, etc.

Ramit, what do you do to hold yourself to get these posts done?

Ive read of rituals Stephan King does to get so much on paper, I tried suggestions by Cal Newport and Tim Feriss…

Do you simply sit at your laptop from 7am until it’s done? Set timers? Block time? Drugs?

Seriously, I have read and tried to implement so many time management techniques but none have stuck. Perhaps a rundown of yesterdays schedule, assuming it is an average day for you of blogging/projects etc.

I need to be hand fed this one.

This is just one of those things that I am not getting, and that has such a remarkable impact on consistent goal achievement and personal growth!

Ramit, you scare the hell out of me. You post these challenges and “do it within 48 hours” things and I get terrified that I will have to take action on my dreams! (gasp).

so far the only one I didn’t participate in was the negotiation one because, literally, i have nothing to negotiate for or with. My credit cards are as low as possible, I don’t have a day job so no raise, I have no business contacts, so no negotiating with them and nothing else I could think of that would require or improve with some negotiation. BUT!!! I am tucking your ideas away and paying attention for the day that I WILL be able to use some negotiating skills.

Also, I just unsubscribed from a few newsletters and blog feeds because I was consuming and not doing. OR because what they were putting out was not actionable and therefore useless. All because of you! I love reading your blog, I love sharing your ideas with my friends, I love trying your challenges … And I LOVE being terrified!

As a direct result of this last post pushing me over the edge I did all of the following TODAY:

1) Asked for and got a meeting with the boss of my company and my supervisor. I asked for a more responsibility and a chance to use my potential as a creative problem solver. I spoke with shocking clarity and had an engaging conversation but no definitive answer yet. Blew boss away honestly.

2) Bought a bike. Big deal, but Ive been wanted one since I moved to San Francisco. Went, saw it, rode it, it’s in my hall.

3) Got a number of a girl I like at work. Ok, she got my number but the plan worked and a number was passed. On. fire.

4) Emailed Project H Design coordinator and asked to be part of the next local meeting which is in three days. They do pretty much what I want to do but don’t know how yet. Just being in the presence of such designers will be worth it.

Thank you for the great advice on getting over what skills I actually have that I can use to hustle my way through. I never thought of that angle before and am now getting off my arse to do something positive.

“Fail fast” is a great motto that I will incorporate into my life going forward. I’ve been searching for a job for awhile now and have been trying new techniques such as informational interviews, volunteering, and networking at lots of different events. When I receive my next job offer, I will use some of your negotiation techniques. Thanks, Ramit. Very insightful, inspiring, and straight forward information.

Great post Ramit. I completely agree that people are generally scared of being ambitious and doing something different. I think a lot of it has to do with the current structure of our educational system. Our system is designed to produce people that will be cogs in a machine and will not think outside the box or ask the difficult questions that you are pushing so many people to ask. We all need more of this.

In college, I had the opportunity to teach a “Student-Initiated Course,” or basically a course ...

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About Ramit Sethi

Ramit Sethi is the author of the New York Times bestseller, I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He writes about psychology, entrepreneurship, careers and personal finance for over 750,000 monthly readers on his website.